[WADNet Post] May 9, 2006: Letter from WAD President

From: WADNet Post Editor <wadneteditor@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: wadnetpost@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 09 May 2006 23:21:53 -0500

SPECIAL POSTING
   --  Letter from WAD President
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Letter from WAD President

May 8, 2006

Members and Friends of Wisconsin Association of the Deaf:

I am excited to inform the community about what is happening with Wisconsin Association of the Deaf during the past month. This past month was productive and yet, challenging for WAD. As you know that we held a Town Hall meeting at Madison Association of the Deaf last month. We all feel that the members have given honest feedback about WAD Conference and membership issues. We had a Board of Directors retreat after the Town Hall meeting to prioritize the direction of this Association and voted on appointing the new Board members to their respective positions.

I am excited to inform you that Board of Directors has appointed Jerrod Keim, Vice President, Katie Voss, Secretary, and Denise Johnson as Regional Representative for Southeastern Wisconsin region. Karen Dishno has accepted the Newsletter Editor position and is working on getting our newsletters out through WADNet (and will be posted on the website as well). Should you be interested in knowing who are the chairpersons for their respective committees and task force: Todd Behanna, Deaf Awareness Week Festival, Joel Mankowski, Interpreter Licensure Task Force, Leslie Riggs, WADNet Editor/ WAD Webperson and Roger Claussen, 50th Biennial Conference. I am confident that this new Board of Directors and chairpersons will bring energy and results for Wisconsin Association of the Deaf.

WAD Board of Directors agreed that we continue to work on our priorities that will benefit our community in Wisconsin. These priorities are: WAD Conference, Interpreter Licensure, Website renovation, DAW Festival and quality of interpreting in courts. Joel Mankowski agreed to take any feedback/concerns on quality of interpreting in medical settings as part of interpreter licensure task force. Also, we are still working on the shackling issue. We are in the process of setting up couple of meetings with legislative aides within Governor Doyle and Senator Feingold's office to make them aware of this issue.

Members stated in the town hall meeting that they wish that WAD's 50th Biennial Conference be held in Delavan. The Board of Directors heard the members' wishes and agreed that the conference be held in Delavan in the summer of 2007. Southern Lakes Association of the Deaf has informally agreed to host the conference. We will be working with SLAD to make this process formal and ensure that the next conference to be the best WAD Conference ever!

There is some confusion with membership dues. Which is which? Are the dues prorated or should it be full membership dues? Members have informally preferred that the membership dues be paid in full instead of having dues prorated from conference to conference. There were some confusion about the bylaws that was posted on our website.

Couple of members has pointed out that the bylaw isn't the same bylaw that was voted by members at the conference. Jerrod Keim and Todd Behanna are currently working on this issue. I will make an announcement as soon as we have everything cleared up.

I will continue to send any new updates of this Association's progress in my next letter. Should you have any concerns or issues that WAD need to work on, please contact me at jriggio@xxxxxxxxxxxx


Sincerely,

Joseph N. Riggio
President


   (Contributed by: Joe Riggio, WAD President)

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[WADNet Post] May 9, 2006: Letter from WAD President

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